Guatemala

The standard story of the origins of Maya civilizations has them evolving from the “mother culture” of Mesoamerica, the Olmecs. Yet the latest research shows that this may not be the case and the Maya likely originated their own ideas about how to construct a city.

At the famed Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, you can sit in the cafe, have a slice of basil pesto quiche, and gaze up at stunning evidence of the looting of the ancient world. The dining room is dominated by an 8-foot-tall carved limestone monument, or stela, of a Mayan king.